Former U.S. Army sergeant gets life in prison in sexual abuse of exchange student

A former U.S. Army sergeant was sentenced to life in prison for the sexual abuse of a foreign exchange student.

Anthony George Ruggiero, 42, of Gloucester, had faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years on his November conviction on a charge of coercion and enticement of a child and a second charge of receipt of child sexual abuse material.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Ruggiero and his family hosted a 15-year-old foreign exchange student from Spain who arrived at their home in Gloucester in 2021.

Per reporting from TheSaltySoldier.com, Ruggiero was on active duty during this time.

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After returning home in 2022, the student disclosed to medical professionals that she had been sexually abused by Ruggiero in 2021 through 2022.

It was learned that Ruggiero had also engaged in sexually explicit messages with the student through social media accounts, and that the sexually graphic conversations continued after she returned to her home country.

Ruggiero asked her for sexually explicit photos, offered her sexually explicit photos, and engaged in sexually explicit conversations both reminiscent of past sexual encounters and fantasies of future encounters.

According to TheSaltySoldier.com, Ruggiero was an 88L Watercraft engineer, a technical expert responsible for repairing and maintaining diesel engines, propulsion systems, electrical systems, and hydraulic machinery on Army maritime vessels.

88L Watercraft engineers are based at Fort Eustis in Newport News.